Lady Eagles Tip-Off Doubleheader Against Arizona
11/10/2011 5:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Women's Basketball team tips off a doubleheader at 5 p.m. with Arizona in what is sure to be an exciting night of basketball at Hanner Fieldhouse. The men's squad follows the Lady Eagles contest with the Pac-12 member school and takes on Valparaiso at 7:30 p.m. Both games can be seen for the price of one ticket by contacting the Georgia Southern Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-GSU-WINS or online at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/tickets.
"If you are a basketball enthusiast whether it be the men's or women's game it just does not matter. You got two named schools coming in here, and its just pretty incredible. I have been here 22 years and we have never had a night like this to kick off your year in Hanner Fieldhouse. What a great venue for the community to come out and watch some basketball," said Head Coach Rusty Cram.
GSU opens its 39th season of women's basketball with three BCS conference opponents in their first four games. The Lady Eagles host Arizona and Georgia before traveling to Alabama on the 21st.
Georgia Southern has won its last 11 home openers and is 17-6 all-time when playing their season opener at home. The Lady Eagles went 10-3 last season at Hanner Fieldhouse but will face a tall task Friday when they take on the Arizona Wildcats.
"To get a super athletic team of that caliber on your court and a school like that to come in to here is just incredible. It is just exciting to play somebody," said Coach Cram.
Arizona finished the 2010-11 season with a 21-12 record and advanced to the NIT where they fell 103-96 to Utah State. The Wildcats are led by two-time All-Pac-12 honoree Davellyn Whyte who averaged 15.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season.
The Lady Eagles are building a young base with their 10 underclassmen, but sport five upperclassmen and only two seniors. Preseason All-SoCon member Meredyth Frye (Fredericksburg, Va.) returns after an exciting 2010-11 season that included a game-winning shot at the buzzer against UNC Greensboro. Frye led the team with 11.6 points per game and was second on the squad with 5.2 rebounds per contest.
"Meredyth is going to play everything from the point to the forward. She tells everyone that she is a point-forward," said Cram. "She is a utility player that can play everywhere, can score and is just a smart girl on the court. She understands the game and how its suppose to be played."
Coach Cram has another pair of offensive weapons that showed spurts of greater production than their averages suggest. Senior Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) finished last year averaging 11.7 points per game in her final nine contests, while MiMi DuBose (Jefferson, Ga.) carried the team at times and was on a real roll in the middle of January with two 20+ point contests before going down with a month-long injury.
"MiMi can certainty shoot the ball but has to get back in that groove after the injury last year," said Cram.
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